Most popular European cities add a tourist tax to your hotel bill in 2026, and it is usually not included in the price you see at booking. Rates run from under €1 to about €16 per person per night. Amsterdam is the outlier, with a percentage charge of 12.5% of the room price, and Edinburgh now has the UK’s own version. On 24 July 2026, Edinburgh became the first UK city to introduce a mandatory city-wide visitor levy, adding a 5% charge to overnight accommodation.
Why Your 2026 Budget Needs a Line For This
Tourist taxes are set locally, so two cities with the same hotel star rating can charge very different amounts. Many places raised rates this year. Some charge per person, some per room, and some take a percentage of the bill. Most cap the number of nights charged, and children are often exempt or pay less.
The practical point for UK travellers is that you normally pay at the hotel, either at check-in or check-out, in euros. Check the rate before you book, especially for longer stays or larger groups.
Edinburgh: the UK’s First Visitor Levy
The levy is 5% of the cost of paid overnight accommodation, charged before VAT, with no charge on extras like parking, meals, drinks or transport. It applies to the first five consecutive nights of a stay.
This affects UK visitors too. The levy applies to overnight stays from 24 July 2026, booked and paid for (in part or full) on or after 1 October 2025. A £200-a-night hotel therefore adds £10 per night, or £50 across five nights.
Glasgow is next. One tourism source reports that from 25 January 2027, Glasgow will levy a 5% charge on overnight accommodation for the full length of a stay. If you have a Scottish city break booked for early 2027, check this before you pay.
City-by-City List
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam charges 12.5% of the accommodation cost excluding VAT, covering hotels, hostels, apartments, short-term rentals and campgrounds. At €200 a night, that means €25 a night extra. Cruise passengers stopping over pay a separate day charge, listed at €14.50 per person per day in 2026.
Paris, France
Paris raised its rates on 1 January 2026. The French government’s published table shows totals per adult per night of €15.93 for a palace hotel, €11.70 for five stars, €8.45 for four stars, €5.53 for three stars and €3.25 for two stars. These totals include an added Île-de-France Mobilités surcharge of 200% of the base tax, which is why they look high. Unclassified accommodation is charged 5% of the cost per person per night, capped at €15.93.
Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona had one of the biggest increases. Hotel guests will pay between €10 and €15 a night from April, depending on the accommodation category. Cruise passengers continue to pay around €6. Authorities have said a quarter of the proceeds is earmarked for managing the city’s housing crisis. Rates outside Barcelona, in the rest of Catalonia, are lower.
Rome, Italy
Rome’s charge depends on star rating. One 2026 guide lists €7.50 per person per night at a four-star hotel and €10 at a five-star hotel. Lower categories pay less, so a budget stay costs noticeably less than a luxury one.
Milan, Italy
Milan raised its rate for the Winter Olympics. The increase reportedly only applies in 2026 and only to accommodation within 30km of Olympic venues. Four- and five-star guests pay up to €10 per night, while one- to three-star hotels and other accommodation range from €3 to €9.50. Rates are charged on the first 14 consecutive nights.
Venice, Italy
Venice has two charges, and they work differently:
- Overnight guests pay an accommodation tax that varies by category.
- Day-trippers pay an access fee. The scheme returned for 2026 and now runs on 60 days, up from 54 in 2025, mostly Fridays to Sundays between April and July.
The fee is €5, doubling to €10 for visitors who do not reserve up to four days in advance. People with hotel or other lodging reservations are exempt from the day fee, but they pay the overnight tax instead.
Brussels, Belgium
From January 2026, the fee for hotel stays rose to €5 per night, and €4 for homestays and camping sites. It is charged per accommodation unit, not per person.
Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon charges €4 per person per night, aq da seven nights per stay. For two adults over a week, that comes to €56.
Vienna, Austria
Vienna is adjusting its local tax in stages, with the change taking effect from 1 July 2026. It is a percentage-based charge, so check the exact figure with your hotel before you travel.
Greece (cruise and island visitors)
Greece’s cruise passenger fee continues in 2026. From 1 June to 30 September, it is €20 at Mykonos and Santorini and €5 at other ports. It drops in the shoulder and winter months.
Other places to know about
- Bucharest, Romania: 10 Romanian leu (around €2) per night, regardless of accommodation price.
- Norway: a new law lets municipalities charge up to 3% on overnight stays in areas particularly affected by tourism, but each local authority decides whether to use it.
- Tenerife: an eco-fee for hiking El Teide National Park trails, capped at €25 per person.
- San Sebastián: its council approved a new tourist tax that begins in January 2027.
Quick comparison for UK travellers
| City | How it’s charged | 2026 headline |
|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam | % of room price | 12.5% before VAT |
| Edinburgh | % of room price | 5%, first five nights |
| Paris | Per person, per night | €3.25 (2-star) to €15.93 (palace) |
| Barcelona | Per person, per night | €10–€15 (hotels) |
| Rome | Per person, per night | Up to €10 (5-star) |
| Brussels | Per unit, per night | €5 (hotels) |
| Lisbon | Per person, per night | €4, max seven nights |
How to avoid surprises
- Check the booking page. Look for “taxes and fees not included” before you confirm.
- Budget in euros. Guz normally gxj brure locally, and exchange rates move.
- Compare star ratings. A lower category can cut a flat tax noticeably in Paris and Rome.
- Check apartments and short lets. Many cities charge the same as hotels, and some okvoqx more.
- Ask about exemptions. Children, and in some cities students or people with disabilities, may pay less or nothing.
- Don’t pay twice. If you prepaid the tax through a booking platform, keep the receipt and ask the hotel not to charge it again.
Final Note
Tourist taxes keep changing, with new schemes announced for 2027, so confirm the rate on the official city council or tourism page before you book. Mo rfsrdsk dfo czbrc xkvru against official and news sources as of early November 2026.
FAQs
Which European city has the highest tourist tax?
Amsterdam is the highest by percentage at 12.5% of the room price. For a flat per-person fee, Paris’s top palace rate of €15.93 is the highest listed above.
Do UK residents pay Edinburgh’s levy?
Yes. It applies to everyone staying in paid accommodation in the city, not only overseas visitors.
Is the tourist tax included in the hotel price?
Usually not. Kshoic typically shk lh or vdem lb separately at checkout.
Do children pay?
It depends on the city. Many exempt young children or charge reduced rates, so check local rules.
Sources:
- Planning a holiday in Europe this year? All of 2026’s new tourist taxes explained (Euronews). This covers Brussels, Greece, Tenerife, Norway and Edinburgh. I took the title from the URL.
- Europe Tourist Tax 2026: New Fees Travellers Need to Know Before Visiting (Wego)
- Tourist Taxes Across Europe 2026: What Every Country & City Charges (Mappr)
- UK’s first city-wide visitor levy comes into effect in Edinburgh (Independent Hotel Show). It supports the 24 July 2026 start, the 5% rate, the five-night cap and the exclusion of extras.
- Edinburgh declares Scotland’s first visitor levy (City of Edinburgh Council). It supports the 1 October 2025 booking rule.
- Two weeks to go: preparations ongoing ahead of Edinburgh Visitor Levy launch (City of Edinburgh Council)
- Edinburgh Visitor Levy to be introduced in July 2026 (Janet Redler). It also covers Glasgow’s 5% levy from 25 January 2027.
